Cream separator or the like



Aug 3, 1943. w MUERLE 2,325,871

' CREAM SEPARATOR OR THE LIKE Filed June '7, 1940 ment in both directions.

drawing, and finally Patented Aug. 3,1943

' 1' Ri h 7* f fMontgomeryWard & Co".',;ln'corporated, Chi I cago,lll.g a corporation ofzIllinois g7,.1 4 ,,si 1;na. 39,264 Lorai e"(omen-46y; 1 This inventionlhas wail creamzcentrifugal I f mam Jujj separatorsor the like, andqespecially; those separ rators used in removing -the;cream from :whole It is an-{object if this memento smite. an

, impr v d rranse en Q 'iadjl sti :fnean d termining the richness of the cream. In the- 1 past; considerable 'difliculty has been experienced "by users ofcream separators becauseof V a lack .ofimderstanding as to how to adjust the, cream screw. In spite of the simple and clearinstructions, it happens againand again that the operatornot realizing the,.;sens itiveness; of; the device-turns the cream screw inthe wrong direction on the wrong number-of turns. Part of the 'difliculty;,has been due to thejact that most cream screws. can be-jturnedin (ferrichercream) 7 until the creampassage is, reduced to a minimumfor even shut ofi completely resulting in clogging of the'bowlandcomplete disruption of the kimming process; Y

" dottedjlinesg In my invention, a,definitepositive stop for the cream screw hasbeen providedlimiting itsmove- It is not possible for the operator to turn the-screw far'enfoughto cause clogging of the bowl.

I 25 The entire ppening of thecream screw has been left-unobstructed vinforder not to restrict the 0) of creamthrough the discharge hole in the creamscrew but p rovision has been made permitting heavy: cream to be discharged through the cream screw,- alfter the adjustmenthas been:turnedalt theway in and the definite stophas been reached. s

It is an additional; feature. of. this .-invention that after the cream screw stop has been reached,

it is easyior' the operator to readjust the screw to a previously ascertained amount securing the desired richness; oficream, -by beginning to turn the screw .(from the definite stop) andturninga given jnumberiof turns; lnother words it isan object to provide -a means'of adjusting the, cream screw which ha aidefinite starting point and may be-iollowedzby.simpleginstructions tothe -operatorhx It is anobjectoithisiinvention to provide a tool indicating the exact: amount of adjustment when the operator adjuststhexcreamiscrew.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the natu re-- of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting n th sdrawins-iiar 51;, r V Figure 1 is; a cross-sectional view; side-e1 tion, showingdetail of a separator bowl, the slsiin ilk c v r am: cover; @I d t o Qflth r l in cove the spo ts-= e ne ;br k ni way on the'skim milk cover and -t ecz'e mcover;-an

aportionkof the topbeing brokenj away on-th'e v regulatingzcover, to. clearly illustrate; the cream screw and-tool, which isshownimposition for r ulat the re im I s ew; t 2 e sw in Figur '2 is a h h i detail the ;const ruction oi thehbpwl V it comprise the core 59; keyed to the ivertical drive shaft :54, Which in effect forms a base for :the b w andh a p perli aporticrl' e te d up,-

, 10f properly positioningethe distributor 6D,; The distributor-69 is slotted-011; its base-portionthe' slot-fitting neatly over the-core lug and preventing the distributor from turning; with .respect to v thecorej59." r

, or-openings-EZ; through which the milk-escapes iasK-itis fed downthrdughthebore pipe, Milk f passing through the slots1 62 is .properlydistribut- The core-59 has a plu ralityof slots ed'througha series of openingsinI-the'distributor,

ea t er e here fmwh h o n s e s qwnf V -,a openings 63.; Breferab1y, andiforthe pur pose -ofreducing the. torque,-- and-further: to-pre vent excess foaming,- theslots 62 01 the-core 58 aretangential;'- Preferablyalso the bottom-por ,tions of the slots'are-curved downwardlnsothat 1 g j thefmilk will tend to go tothe bcttomenld be nearer, the -outlets -of theqdistributorl This downward curving is indicated bythe number-6L Fit-ting; over the core 59 :and also the distributore-6! are theiusualdiscs B5; which;operate in I the well known manner of separatordiscsg; They are held against rotation with-respect to the core v V and the distributor byjmeansofmne orniore vertical columnar, projectionsmn? the? distributor,

' t which:- projections correspondfltogthe'slots .62: .{on

substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying pointed out in the appended claim; q

s erly aligned, when eve .thezcore,' andpterminatesinathex-aoutletstorxopening s 63.

The, openings 63 on the distributor will be prop-.-

rything is in place, with which the cream rises to r the holes 66, through the top.

t v s w i: the 1 used in adjustingthe cream screw r Y Referring inzparticular to Eigure 1; I 'set out Over the discs 65 is placed a top disc the top 60 per cent.

fat in the cream.

' "portion of the core-59.

of which fits closely around the pipe portion of the core 59. Between the top disk 61 and an outer shell 12 the skimmed milk flows upwardly to a discharge orifice 15. This top disc 61 has a top collar 68, which hasthe inner circumferential flange portion 69, hereinafter referred to as disc collar flange 69. This flange 69 serves the very definite purposes of providing an accurate and positive cream screw stop for the adjustable cream screw 10. The arrangement whereby the cream screw is provided with this definite stop, in the form of the disc collar flange or otherwise, is one of the principal features of a this invention. 'When the. cream screw is turned to the right as far as it will golit will be against the disc collar flange 69. The cream has V v, means of determining accurately the exact and the disc collar flange in such'event, and therefore onlytherichest, cream will be emitted only a small clearance betweenthe cream screw 7 from the openingin the cream screw.

For the purpose of adjusting the cream screw, I providethe cream screw wrench, designated Tl, and set forth in detail in Figure 2. This wrench'will -be"fully described later, but it is shown in operative position'by the dotted lines of Figure 1'. The wrench H may be turned to the left to move. thecream screw in outwardly, the

'on one ofthe smaller separators known as a 400 pound capacity separator, and whole milk having a butter fat content of 3 to 4 per cent is used, 7

the butter fatin the cream will be approximately -On 1 rotations or turns from the positive stop, outwardly, the butterfat will drop to a percentage of per cent. On three turns outwardly, the butter fat will. drop to a percentage of 15 per cent.- An accurate chart is available to determine for each grade of Whole milk used the number of turns from the positive stop necessary to get 'a desired percentage for butter Referring again to'the drawing, it will be noted that the bowl shelllz fits over the assembly of the core 59, distributor-66, discs 65 and top disc 61, and seats on an upwardly turned ledge in the ,bottom 1circun'iferential flange of the core 59.-

The shell 12 is centered-with respect to the assembly by means of=asmall shell centering lug 13; whichfits into-a groove on the flange of the core. The entire assembly is tightly fastened into place *by means of the bowl nut 14, which maybe tightened onto thethreaded upper pipe The shield prevents theremoval of -the'creamscrew whenonce assembled and acts as'an outward stop therefor,

y itbeing understood that the tool aperture is not such as to permit removal of the cream screw therethrough. w 1

T-he cream screw opening in the outer bowl shell 12 has its sides bevelled (not'shown) so that cream passing through thscrew 10' slides off the edges of "the opening in the shell," without J {any considerableamount of foaming or drag.

I richnessof the cream droppingofi as the cream 3 In other words; the opening through the-shell 12 for the cream is likewise tangential. I

Referring to Figure 2, I have illustrated a convenient form of wrench for use with the cream screw. For accurate manipulation, the head of the wrench is generally square in shape, and has on its edges wording and numbering showing turn in, turn (either in or out, and turn out. It also has on its outer end directions for rotating the screw to secure'richer or leaner cream. In the drawing of Figure 2, I have shown only the top which is the starting position, the side havingthe numerals indicating turn out,

and the end showing the direction of rotation. Obviously'other'appropriate wording is available, 7 but applicant has provided in this wrench a amount of rotation,.and if a user will follow the direetions'of his chart he can secure accurately the amount of richness desired in the cream.

-One of the principal faults ofthepresent cream separators is the lack ofaccuracy in adjusting the loss of considerable butter'fat into theski-in milk, by providing fortoorich crea'mJ-Ove'r'a period of time the ordinaryadairy farmer would suffer considerable loss under such circumstances. The end'of the cream screw wrench isprovided with a'square or irregular portion which corresponds to a complemental'opening'in the end of the creamfscrewa" J 1 l 5 I The form Of the invention herein shown "and described presents a preferred embodiment thereof, and delineates its adaption to practical use, but it is to'b'e understood that the prese'nt disclosureis to be considered from the illustrative standpoint and-not a s imposing restriction or limitation on the invention. WhileI have herein-shown -and described certain features of my -invention', still I do not wish to limit myself thereto, exceptjas I may do so in the claim.

1Iclaim:-: Acream regulating means-for a cream separator comprising a. separator bowl with a top ranged to act as a stop against outward move separating discand' disc collar' having an in- "wardly extending horizontal portion and downw'ardly dependent flange, an'd an adjustable hollow-creamscrew threadedrthrough said top disc and adapted to abut against said dependent flange portion :witho'ut obstructing the passage .way, an irregulanopen-ing through said a'djustable cream screw, the opening being adapted to receive adjusting wrench-for accurate adjustment to predetermine position, thereby determining the 'richne'ss'of the cream,-and "an outer shell surrounding said 'top disk adjacent to said cream screw, said shell having an aperture therethroughaligned with the =h0llow of said cream screw, said aperture being of such sizeas topermit the entrance of an adjusting wrench, the edge of said opening being constructed and arment of said cream screw.

eanna-1w. MUEriLE. 

